Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Agricultural and Industrial Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AIEN) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Mr. Bonaventure Okhaimo as Managing Director/CEO of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC).
In a statement issued Thursday by its National President and former Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Chief Chuku Wachuku, AIEN described Okhaimo’s appointment as a major boost to entrepreneurship in the agriculture and small and medium enterprises (SME) sector.
The Board of Directors of NCGC, chaired by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, with Okhaimo as Managing Director, was inaugurated last week at the Presidential Villa by Vice President Kashim Shettima on behalf of President Tinubu.
AIEN hailed the appointment as “a square peg in a square hole,” expressing confidence that Okhaimo—who boasts nearly three decades of exceptional expertise in development finance and banking—will bring transformative leadership to the NCGC.
The group recalled that during his tenure as Chief Operating Officer at the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Okhaimo introduced significant innovations that expanded the SME landscape.
“AIEN, together with our development partners, was very pleased to partner with the DBN because of him. We believe that he will bring the much-needed experience to drive entrepreneurship in the Agric/SME sector, which is critical to job and wealth creation,” the statement read.
AIEN praised President Tinubu’s choice of Okhaimo, saying his proven competence, managerial acumen, and innovative vision would herald a new era for the company.
During the board’s inauguration, Vice President Shettima charged members to deepen financial inclusion and stimulate the grassroots economy.
The NCGC was established to provide a financial safety net for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) facing challenges accessing affordable credit.
Speaking at the event, Shettima said: “This is our response to a stubborn challenge that has stifled our economic potential for decades—access to finance. These entrepreneurs do not ask for handouts; they ask for the credibility of their ideas to be matched by the confidence of our financial institutions.”
In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, noted that the establishment of NCGC “represents the government’s commitment to bridging the financing gap that has long plagued MSMEs across the country.”
President Tinubu had announced the creation of the NCGC on May 29, 2025, alongside the approval of its board and management team.
